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STATE OF WYOMING 
tT “PARTMENT OF EDUCATION 


Bulletin No. 2—Series C 


COURSE OF STUDY 
FOR 
RURAL SCHOOLS 


English Course: 


ELEMENTARY 
READING—LANGUAGE—SPELLING 


THE CAPITOL PRESS, CHEYENNE 


WYOMING 
SPATE BOARD OF EDUCA IGN 


S. C. PARKS 
President 


MRS. KATHARINE A. MORTON 
Superintendent of Public Instruction , 


Jae AR GLY: V. J. FACINELLI 
MRS. W. V. GAGE JAMES MORGAN 


LEWIS C. TIDBALL, JR. 


Commissioner of Education 


MISS GEORGINE H. ERLANDSON 
Deputy State Superintendent 


J. R. COXEN 


Director for Vocational Training 


MISS BEATRICE McLEOD 


State Supervisor of Special Classes 


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Course of Study in Reading 


——— 


I. General Plan of Course. 

This course of study provides material for the teaching of 
the following phases of a reading course: 

1. Oral Reading. 

2. Silent Reading. 

3. Testing of Silent Reading. 

4. Phrase and Sentence Drills. 

Sa nOnics: 

6. Study of Literature. 

Two provisions are made in the daily program carrying 
out the provisions of the course: 

1. A daily general reading period for all children as out- 
lined below. ‘This should be supplemented in the primary 
grades by at least one other formal recitation during the half- 
day not containing this general one. Also a 5-minute phonic 
drill period should be provided. 


GRADES 
Time 1—3 ) 46 7—8 
5 min. Drill with phrase and sentence cards—Phonic 
10to15min. Reading Lesson Preparation or Silent Reading 
30 min. Group Oral Reading or Group Oral Reading M.-Tu. 
Silent Reading Silent Reading W.-Th. 
Reading Test By 


The grouping of children suggested is tentative only. The 
third grade may be shifted to the intermediate group, and the 
sixth to the upper group if such a grouping better fits the 
school. See later sections for explanation of terms used in this 
schedule. 

2. Provision is to be made for the use of group oral and 
silent reading, for busy work in the lower grades and as a sub- 
stitute for study periods in many subjects in the grades below 
the fifth. 


II. The Drill Period. 

Two types of material should be used in the daily drill 
period: 

1. Flash Cards providing phrase and sentence drills for 
developing speed in Reading. In using such cards they should 
be flashed fast enough so that not more than 50% of the room 
get them. The common phrases may be used again and again; 
but sentences should not be repeated often enough to allow the 

) 


child to commit them to memory. ‘This material should not 
contain any vocabulary problems. The vocabulary should be 
such that every child above the second grade will recognize 
the words. The purpose of the drill is to dev elop ability to rec- 
ognize larger groups of words at one eye pause, and to recogs, 
nize common phrases as a unit. ° 

2. Some general work in phonics may be given. 

The former should be stressed; see Sec. V. 


III. Group Oral Reading. 


Group Oral Reading is carried on as follows: The entire 
school is divided into groups of from two to five children of 
somewhat similar reading ability. Seventh and eighth grade 
children can almost always read together and a strong sixth 
grade pupil can very well fit into the same group. Intermedi- 
ate grade children, 4, 5 and 6, very often fit together. The 
teacher must, of course, take into consideration not only the 
grade but the reading ability of the children. In the first grade 
and in some cases in the second grade if the children are weak 
in reading, it will be found advisable to group together two 
pupils, a strong and a weak reader. After the children have 
been grouped they should be seated close together in groups 
over the room with the groups as widely separated as possible. 

A class leader should be appointed in each group and the 
reading should then proceed in all groups at the same time, just 
as it would be carried on in an ordinary oral reading lesson 
with the teacher in charge. In the beginning the teacher should 
devote her time to a general supervision of the work. After 
the work has been under way for some time and the children 
have become accustomed to the system the teacher may then 
give considerable of her time to hearing either primary chil- 
dren or especially weak readers read, giving the personal as- 
sistance that is so necessary in both these cases. 

Special material for this work should be provided. It will 
be found most successful to have only one book in each group, 
the book being passed from pupil to pupil. In this way the 
pupil will have to read in such a way as to be understood by 
the rest of the group. This gives what should be the natural 
incentive for good oral reading, an audience interested in what 
the reader is attempting to convey. 


The following specific suggestions are made: 


a. ‘The material used must be interesting to the children. 
A long story, such as Pinnochio, in the intermediate grades, or 
Treasure Island in the upper grades will hold the attention of 
the children. In the primary grades, easy readers made up of 
story material will be most satisfactory ; but the children must 
be interested. 

b. The material should be undergraded. That is, the 


material for such a class must be easy reading. Both the child 
4 


reading and the child listening must be able to understand the 
context without effort and the reader must beable to pro- 
nounce practically all the words without difficulty. If readers 
are used it will usually be found satisfactory to undergrade at 
least one year, using a second reader for third grade, third 
reader for the fourth grade and so on. 

c. It will not be found possible to insist too strictly on 
such things as position, method of holding the book, etc. The 
child must be put at ease and must be interested at such a 
period or it will be a failure. 

d. Some of the children, especially the older ones, in the 
beginning may find the situation during this period amusing. 
If they do this to the extent of being disorderly such a group 
should be broken up and allowed to read as individuals until 
the novelty wears out. 

e. It will be found advantageous to seat the children in 
each group as closely together as possible. In this way it will 
not be necessary for the reader to read above a natural tone 
of voice in order to be heard, and disturbance of other groups 
will be avoided. 

f. In the primary grades where two children are sitting 
together, if possible a strong and a weak reader should be 
paired. A great deal of the time should be devoted to the 
weak reader reading to the better. Such an exercise will be 
found advantageous to both. 


IV. Audience Reading. 

Portions of reading periods each week should be devoted 
to “audience reading’, where the child carefully prepares a 
selection to be read to the school as a whole. The teacher 
should make sure that the child is adequately prepared, so that 
the performance will be satisfying to the auditors. Care should 
be exercised to select material suitable for oral presentation, 
fresh, and within the compass of enjoyment of the school. 
Kither reading time or the time devoted to opening exercises 
may be used for this work. 

A second form of “audience reading” that will be found 
especially valuable with poor readers in the upper grades is to 
have them read lower grade material to the primary children. 
In this way they may be induced to do a great deal of reading 
which is within their ability without feeling humiliated as they 
would be if such reading were assigned to them as a regular 
reading exercise. Vacant periods during the day may be filled 
in in this way. 


V. Silent Reading. 

During the past few years great stress has been placed on 
silent reading, and a number of books are available dealing 
with this important school activity besides the manuals that 


have been published with such series as the Bolenius readers, 
5 


published by the Houghton-Mifflin Company, and the Lewis. & 

Rowland readers, published by the John C.Winston Company. 

Teachers will find one of the following books well worth read- | 

ing before attempting to teach silent reading: Silent Reading € 
—O’Brien, published by the MacMillan Co.; How to Teach,, 
Reading—Pennell and Cusack, published by the Houghton- 

Mifflin Co. 

Two or three facts should be in the teacher’s mind while 
teaching silent reading. mrss 

a. Investigations show that speed and accuracy and 
amount of retention usually go hand in hand; that the fast 
readers remember more of what they read than do slow ones. 

b. Ability to read silently can be taught. 

c. Too great stress on oral reading interferes with the 
development of speed in silent reading. : 

d. Vocalization, or any movement of the vocal organs 
while reading silently, interferes with the development. of 
speed. 

e. Ability to read fast depends upon two things: speed 
of eye movement in crossing the page, and ability to grasp as 
large a number of words as possible at one fixation. In read- 
ing, the eye moves across the page, not in one continuous 
movement but jumps from one fixation point to another as it 
follows the line. 


Improvement in silent reading thus depends upon one of 
two factors : 


a. In training the eye to take in more material at each 
fixation or to reduce the time of each such pause. Both of these 
improvements may be accomplished; the first by perception 
drills which train the eye to take in a larger group of words at 
one time, and the second by securing such familiarity with 
words and phrases as will allow them to be perceived as soon 
as seen. 

From the above it will be seen that the teacher should 
have three specific aims in the teaching of silent reading: 

a. Specific, definite, and purposive reading where the im- 
provement of speed is the objective. The material in this case 
should be sufficiently, easy so that speed of reading is possible. 
Where too many obstacles exist, such as unfamiliar words or 
involved sentences, the purpose of the lesson will be lost. The 
child should know the purpose of the work, and by means of 
individual speed graphs or some other device, should be en- 
couraged to attempt to improve his work. 

b. If the child has learned to work for speed then he 
should be taught that vocalization, or lip, tongue and throat 
movements while reading silently decrease his speed; and at- 
tention should be centered, in cases where it is necessary, on 
the elimination of this difficulty. It has been found that this 


can be done only by conscious effort on the part of the reader. 
6 


ce. Drills should be provided to widen: the. perceptual 
svan. Probably the best drill for this purpose can be provided 
through printed cards about four inches wide and of the nec- 
essary length to contain phrases and short sentences... These 
should be exposed to the children’s view for very short periods. 
Probably separate groups of cards should be used for the pri- 
mary grades and the grades above. It will, however, be found 
possible to give such drills to all children together from about 
the third grade up. The sentences or phrases should be printed 
in type easily visible from all parts of the room. The five min- 
ute drill suggested in the general plan may well consist of this 
sort of material during three or four days in the week. 


Just How is a Silent Reading Period to be Conducted? 


The teacher should have in reserve a book for each pupil 
which he does not use at any other time; these may consist of 
a set of readers for each grade. Since one of the purposes of 
silent reading is to develop speed, the material should not be 
too difficult. Test questions should be prepared on each selec- 
tion ahead of time. It is well to have a portion of the black- 
board covered with an ordinary window shade. Questions, 
when it is desirable to hide them until the close of the period, 
can be covered in this way, and displayed at the proper time. 
Another convenient way of providing these questions is by 
means of the hectograph, or in-small classes with carbon paper. 


The pupils should be told to read as rapidly as possible, 
but not at the sacrifice of understanding. When some specific 
purpose is in mind, as the elimination of articulation, this 
should be mentioned. At a given signal have all begin. The 
reading should then proceed for the period of the assignment. 
At least five minutes of the period should be reserved for the 
check-up at the close. As a general rule, criticisms of the 
reading should be reserved until the close of the period, since 
correcting one child is apt to break in on the work of the entire 
class or school. However, when working for the elimination 
of some specific bad habit, it may be better to quietly call the 
attention of the one reading wrongly to the fact at the time. 


It is well to know the average number of words per line 
in the readers used. This can be done as a preliminary exer- 
cise by counting the words in 25 lines of average prose, in each 
book used. Divide the result by 25, and record this permanent- 
ly on the blackboard. At the close of the period the child 
counts the lines read, and computes his total score. ‘The score 
of a child may be: 

a. The number of words read in a given number of min- 
utes. 

b. The time required to read a given number of words. 
Ivither may be quickly reduced to the number of words per: 


minute. For ordinary silent reading it is not necessary to. pre- 
serve such a score except when the development of speed i is the 


fundamental purpose in a series of lessons. ih, 
Three types of silent reading lessons should be recog- € 
nized: A 


1. The speed lesson where the fundamental purpose is to 
secure speed, with understanding in the background, but not 
entirely overlooked. 

2. ‘The lesson where the purpose is chiefly information; 
speed, however, should never be neglected. Here some form 
of test as to understanding should follow or accompany the 
lesson. 

3. The general silent reading lesson, where the child 
reads for pleasure alone. This will almost always be fiction. 


VI. The Testing for Speed and Retention. ° 


Provision is made in the general plan for a weekly test for 
speed and accuracy. A separate set of books should, if possi- 
ble, be provided for this purpose so as to make it possible to 
use material for such a test with which the children are un- 
familiar. Prose will be found more satisfactory for such a 
test than poetry; in fact the use of the latter is almost im- 
possible. Solid reading is easier to check up on than conver- 
sation or other broken material. Factual material will be found 
more satisfactory than stories. Some children will be familiar 
with the content of almost any story selected, so that general 
questions will be valueless in testing comprehension: Also 
the rate of reading will be greatly accelerated if the child is 
familiar with the general content. 


Such a test can be given to the entire room, with the excep- 
tion of beginners, at the same time by providing each child 
with a book suitable to his degree of progress in reading. The 
selection to be read should be marked in each book either with 
a marker or by turning the open book face downward on the 
desk. The teacher should instruct the children that they are 
to read as rapidly as they can with understanding. They 
should be warned that they will be scored both on the speed 
with which they read and on their ability to tell about what 
they have read. They shouldbe directed to have a pencil con- 
venient while reading and to check the end of the line they are 
reading at the close of-the test period, or when told to’stop: 
The teacher should be very careful about timing or she will 
destroy one purpose of the test which is to allow the children 
to see whether they are improving or not in their ability to read 
silently. At the signal to begin the children should quickly 
turn their books face up and begin reading. From 3 to 5 min- 
utes may be allowed for the test. The teacher should know, 
by counting ahead of time, the average number of words per 


line in each book used so that at the end of the period all that 
8 


is necessary is for the child to count the number of lines that 
he has read and to multiply it by the average number of words 
per line. The average per line may be found by counting the 
words in 25 lines of unbroken material and using the average 
of these for the average in the book. This will be sufficiently 
accurate for ordinary purposes. 

At the close of the test period one of several devices may 
be used to test the retention: 

(1) The child may take a sheet of paper and write out all 
that he is able to recall. The papers may then be taken up and 
the words counted and used as the child’s comprehension 
score. This is, in a rough way, Starch’s method of scoring 
comprehension and will be found fairly satisfactory, especially 
if the children are not informed of the fact that their score in 
comprehension depends upon the number of words they write. 
If they know this it may encourage verbosity without ideas. 

(2) The teacher may prepare three or four questions on 
each selection that is being read and either put these on the 
board, or hectograph copies for each child. In a small school 
the necessary number of duplicate copies may be secured with 
carbon paper. These questions may be of two types: (a) 
Questions that will determine his general understanding of the 
entire story read or (b) Questions testing his ability to recall 
minor details. 

(3) Another form of test if more variety is desired, is to 
require the children to quickly jot down the main topic of each 
paragraph after the first reading is completed. In this case, of 
course, they would have to use their books while making the 
outline, but sufficient time should not be allowed for them to 
re-read. 

(4) Other devices may be worked out by the skillful 
teacher that will not consume too much time, on the part of 
the child, that will be easy to score and that will test the 
child’s knowledge of what he has read. 

In preparing the questions to be used as suggested in (2) 
questions should be devised that will be answered in a few 
words so that the teacher can quickly check over the papers 
handed in. Also see Section “Methods of Testing Silent Read- 


ing. 


METHODS OF TESTING SILENT READING . 


ti, Judgment Questions: Ask one to thrée questions in- 
volving some problem in connection with the reading. These 
should be questions the answer to which would determine 
whether the child has understood the main theme of the read-" 
ing. 

i 2. Factual Questions: Ask three or four questions re- 
garding facts in the selection read; as, the names of characters, 
characters the pupil likes best and why, and other details. 

3. Three or four searching factual questions regarding 
details. These should be given before reading and not after as 
a rule. Since this procedure involves slow, careful reading 
and precludes speed it should not be used too frequently. 

4. Writing down of topic of each paragraph, or other di- 
vision of the reading. ‘This check, as in 2,-demands careful 
reading, will work against speed, and should not be used too 
frequently. 

5. The child may be asked to check the ten most difficult 
words either from the standpoint of pronunciation or meaning. 
A similar list of unusual words may be prepared. Here em- 
phasis is on words rather than on the thought. It may be used 
for variety, but not too often. 

6. Occasionally the checking should be done in an oral 
quiz. The questions should be prepared ahead of time so as 
to make the examination short and lively. 


Not more than three to five minutes should be consumed 
in any of these tests. 


This testing should be conscientiously done and the papers 
handed in should be checked over to make sure that the child 
is understanding what he reads. If he is not, three explana- 
tions are possible: (a) He may be sacrificing understanding 
to mere speed, thus defeating the main purpose of Silent Read- 
ing; (b) he may not be concentrating on what he is reading; 
or (c) the reading may be too difficult. The good reading 
teacher will diagnose the difficulty and then seek a remedy. 


VII. Progress Charts. 


One of the most effective means of encouraging childees 
to attain speed and comprehension in silent reading is by the 
use of Progress Charts both for each individual child and for 
the school as a whole. The following plan is suggested: 

The individual score sheet should provide for a score each 
week at the time of the weekly test. It will not be found ad- 
visable to try to keep both a speed and comprehension score. 
Since speed is more objective and more easily measured, it 
should be made the basis of the score. If it is found that the 
class or individuals are sacrificing comprehension to speed, a 

10 


system of penalizing the speed score for low comprehension 
can be devised. This, however, will not usually be found nec- 
essary if comprehension is otherwise emphasized. The follow- 
ing form will be found satisfactory for a record sheet by which 
each child is to measure his own progress. 


SG core Sheet gt dehn S mith, TR red Grite, 


a 
Ss 
o 
ri 


The vertical lines give the dates on which tests are taken 
and the horizontal lines the scores made. 

On the chart given a third grade child has made a score of 
105 on September 7,108 on September 14, 111 on September 21, 
and so on. By such means the child has a picturesque record 
of his progress. In addition a heavy line may be drawn across 
the Graph horizontally to show the standard score of the grade 
in which the child belongs, as above. 

This score sheet should be ruled in ink, or the general 
form may be hectographed by the teacher. It should be pre- 
served permanently in the child’s notebook, and the result of 
each weekly test recorded. The following table of standard 
speed scores in silent reading for each grade will be found ac- 
curate enough for practical purposes. It is a composite of the 
scores of Starch, Gray and Courtiss: 


Grades 2 a 4 5 6 7 8 


Standard Speed Score in Silent 
Re aU ih Cait Sit ee eat nd Ow 95 130 155 180 200 220 240 


11 


Besides this individual score sheet which each child keeps 
for himself, the teacher should keep on the blackboard or ona 
sheet of tagboard hung in a prominent place, a score sheet for 
the entire room. ‘Two forms are presented below: 


Such a chart is simple and easily kept. The letters at the 
top are the initials of the children, the figures under each initial 
the grade of the pupil. The figures at the side indicate the 
number of words read per minute. The heavy line S-S. repre- 
sents the standard score for the grade. The child who goes 
above this line is above the average in his grade; one .who 
drops below is below standard. The objection to this method 
is that it will be found difficult to follow the score line of the 
various tests, unless different colored crayon or broken lines 
are used. , 

The second suggested form is very similar. It is an adap- 
tation of the familiar “thermometer” idea. Instead of the score 
line for each test, the pupil’s score is indicated by coloring the 
column red from the bottom up to the proper point to indicate 
the score. Crayon should be used, so that erasure is possible if 
the score falls. This device, with the idea of trying to force 
the “mercury” above the Standard Score Line will: be found 
helpful as a mechanical means of developing interest. The 

v2 


form. of the graph, lines, figures, initials, and standard: score 
line should be put on in permanent form, so as not to be erased 
or smudged when changes are made in the individual scores 


of children. 
Words per 


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Class Graph Plan No. II—Speed in Bee 


VIII. Material Every School Should Have for Its Reading 
Course. 
For the Teacher’s Reference 

1. Pennell and Cusack—“How to Teach Reading’’— 
Houghton, Mifflin Co. 

2. Stone—‘Oral and Silent Reading’—Houghton, Miff- 
line Ga: 

3. O’Brien—“Silent Reading”’—MacMillan Co. 

4. Watkins—“How to Teach Silent Reading in the Pri- 
mary Grades’’—Lippincotts. 


First Grade 


1. Pre-Primer Material: 
(1) Either the Pre-Primer Material called for or pro- 
vided in the basal reading system being used; or, 
(2) ‘Tag-board for word, phrase, and sentence cards, a 
rubber type printing outfit with 34 to 1 inch letters, and illus- 
13 


trative pictures. The early pages of old primers make “cut-up 
stories” that can be used late in this period. Use action sent- 
ences. 

(3) A list of words from Thorndike’s “Teacher’s Word 
Book” will be found in Section XIII. The teacher should se-, 
lect about 50 words from the list for her material. Choose 
those that are used in the basal primer. 

2. Primers: A basal primer, a companion primer if print- 
ed, and at least two others, not less than four in all. 

3. Teachers Helps: Secure the Teacher’s Manual, charts, 
flash cards, etc., that go with the basal system. Follow the 
Teacher’s Manual of the system used. 

4. 1st Readers: ‘The basal first reader, a companion first 
reader if published, and at least one other, or a total of three in 
all. 

Second Grade ‘ 


1. Readers: Not less than five second readers. A good 
selection will include a basal oral reader, a companion reader, 
a silent reader, and two others. 

2. Teacher’s Helps: If provided for in the basal series, 
these should be secured. Material for sentence, phrase, and 
word drills. Also phonic drill material. Individual boxes of 
letter cards. 

3. Several books for the “Library Table” or for unsu- 
pervised reading periods. Single copies of second readers and 
first readers that are not in use in the school whose content is 
interesting to children will serve this purpose. 


Third Grade 


1. Readers: From two to four readers depending on the 
amount of supplementary material. A basal reader, and a 
silent reader should be included. 

2. Other Books to be Read: Single copies of these clas- 
sics may be purchased to furnish material for the group oral 
reading period, and for the “Library Table.” About 8 or 10 
in all should be secured. Those to be used for group reading 
should be reserved. 


Fifty Famous Stories Retold—Baldwin. 

For the Children’s Hour—C. M. Lewis & C. S. Bailey. 
Zuni Folk Tales—Cushing. 

Big People and Little People of Other Lands—Shaw. - 
Going to School in Animal Land—Cowles. 

Little Folks of Many Lands—Chance. 

Classic Stories for the Little Ones—Mrs. L. B. McMurry. 
Snow Baby—Mrs. J. D. Peary. 

Dutch T'wins—Lucy Fitch Perkins. 

East O’ the Sun—Mrs. G. Thorne-Thomsen. 

Songs of Childhood—Eugene Field. 

Fairy Tales—Jacob L. Grimm. 


— et 
NH SOONANRON 


14 


Fourth Grade 


1. Readers: From two to four readers depending on the 


lent reader should be included. 


>) amount of supplementary material. A basal reader, and a si- 


2. Classics to be Read: Read at least six of the following 
as class exercise. Others should be on the “Library Table.” 


CRNA WNS 


Fairy Tales—Hans C. Andersen. 

Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens—J. M. Barrie. 
Adventures of a Brownie—Mrs. D. M. Craik. 
Italian Fairy Tales—Georgene Faulkner. 
Household Fairy Tales—J. L. & W. K. Grimm. 
Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp—Andrew Lang. 
Adventures of Pinocchio—Carlo Lorenzini. 
How Mr. Dog Got Even—Albert B. Paine. 
Hansel and Gretel—A. H. Wette. 

The White Indian Boy—Driggs-Wilson. 

Thirty More Famous Stories Retold—Baldwin. 
Alice in Wonderland—Carroll. 

Krag & Johnny Bear—Seton. 


Fifth Grade 


1. Readers: A basal reader and a silent reader. 
2. Classics to be Read: Read at least six of the follow- 
ing as class exercise. Others should be on the “Library Table.” 


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Story of David Livingston—Vautier Golding. 
Jack Among the Indians—George B. Grinnell. 
Viking Tales—Jennie Hall. 

Just-So Stories—Rudyard Kipling. 

Arabian Nights—Frances J. Olcott. 

Story of King Arthur and His Knights—Howard Pyle. 
Captain January—Laura FE. Richards. 

With the Indians in the Rockies—J. W. Schultz. 
Lives of the Hunted—F. Thompson Seton. 
Heidi—Mrs. Johanna Spyri. 

Robin Hood: His Book—Ewva March Tappan. 
Birds’ Christmas Carol—K. D. Wiggin. 

Swiss Family Robinson—J. D. Wyss. 

Dog of Flanders—Ouida. 

Wonder Book—Hawthorne. 


Sixth Grade 


1. Readers: A basal reader and a silent reader. 


as 


2. Classics to be Read: Read at least six of the follow- 


ing as class exercisé. Others should be,on the “Library 


Table.” 


hs 
SOON AMBWDH-e 


Eight Cousins—Louisa M. Alcott. 

Story of the Golden Age—James Baldwin. 

Robinson Crusoe—Daniel Defoe. 

Hans Brinker—Mary M. Dodge. 

Last of the Flatboats—George C. Eggleston. 

Red Arrow—Elmer R. Gregor. 

Ranche on the Oxhide—Henry Inman. 

Rip Van Winkle—Washington Irving. 

Jungle Book—Rudyard Kipling. 

Five Little Beas H. M. Lothrop. 
1 2 


11. Two Little Confederates—Thomas Nelson Page. 
12. Wild Animals I Have Known—E. T. Seton. 

13. Bee-Man of Orn—Frank R. Stockton. 

14. Gulliver’s Travels—Jonathan Swift. 

15. King of the Golden River—Ruskin. 

16. Black Beauty—Sewall. 

17. Rab and His Friends. 


Seventh Grade 


1. Reader: One book which is a collection of material 
suitable for the grade should be secured. 
2. Classics to be Read: Select six from the following 
list: 
Jo’s Boys—L. M. Alcott. 
Free Rangers—J. Alexander Altsheler. 
Young Forester—Zane Grey. 
Jack Among the Indians—George B. Grinnell. 
Young Alaskans—Emerson Hough. 4 
Tom Brown’s School Days—Thomas Hughes. 
Kindred of the Wild—Charles G. D. Roberts. 
Two Little Savages—E. T. Seton. 
Buccaneers and Pirates of Our Coast—Frank R. Stockton. 
10. Lost Gold of the Montezumas—W. O. Stoddard. 
11. Three Colonial Boys—Everett T. Tomlinson. 
12. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm—K. D. Wiggin. 
13. Courtship of Miles Standish—Longfellow. 
14. King Arthur Poems—Tennyson. 
15. The Great Stone Face—Hawthorne. 


CON AUR ONE 


3. Books for the Library Table: The following is a sug- 
gestive list borrowed from Charters (School & Society, March 
13, 1920) of books reported as most popular by librarians of 
twenty-four of the largest cities in the country. This list may 
be added to or substituted for from local libraries, and other 
sources. Many of these books will be found suitable for 
younger children. 


Treasure Island—Stevenson. 
Tom Sawyer Clemens. 
Toby Tyler—Otis. 
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea—Verne. 
The Young Trailers—Altsheler. 
Huckleberry Finn—Clemens. 
The Fast Mail—Drysdale. 
Tracks End—Carruth. 
Jack, the Young Ranchman—Grinnell. 
10. Jim Davis—Masefield. 
11. Last of the Chiefs—Altsheler. 
12. Crimson Sweater—Barbour. 
13. Boys of Bob’s Hill—Burton. 
14. Adventures of Buffalo Bill—Cody. 
15. Robinson Crusoe—DeFoe. 
16. Call of the Wild—London. 
17. Cab and Caboose—Monroe. ! 
18. Boy Scouts of the Black Eagle Patrol—Quirk. ( 
19. With the Indians in the Rockies—Schultz. 
20. Horsemen of the Plains—Altsheler. 
21. Two Boys in a Gyro Car—Brown. 
. 16 


SO DON Den BN 


22. Jack Among the Indians—Grinnell. 

23. Winning His Way to West Point—Malone. 
24. Tom Strong—Mason. 

25. Careers of Danger and Daring—Moffet. 

26.: Bar B. Boys—Sabin. 

27. Buffalo Bill and the Overland Trail—Sabin. 
28. Young Train Dispatcher—Stevenson. 

29. Wilderness Castaways—Wallace. 


HKighth Grade 
1. Reader: One book which is a collection of material 


suitable for the grade should be secured. 


list: 


IX. 


2. Classics to be Read: Select six from the following 


Evangeline—Longfellow. 

Snowbound—W hittier. 

Man Without a Country—Hale. 

Julius Caesar—Shakespeare. 

Don Quixote—Cervantes. 

Treasure Island—Stevenson. 

The Spy—James F. Cooper. 

Prince and the Pauper—Clemens. 

Two Years Before the Mast—R. Dana. 
10. Call of the Wild—Jack London. 
11. Boy’s Life of Abraham Lincoln—Helen Nicolay. 
12. Bob, Son of Battle—Alfred Ollivant. 
13. Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch—Alice Rice. 
14. Florence Nightingale—Laura E. Richards. 

3. Books for the Library Table: (See 7th Grade). 


ight e ETE FS Ges TNO ee 


Material to be Used: Outlined in Six Weeks .Periods. 


Grade One 
Six Weeks Period 


Pre-Primer work. The purpose of pre-primer work is two-fold. 
a. To teach the child to associate pictures and objects with the 
printed symbol; b. To familiarize the child with a word list intro- 
ductory to the primer list. See Sections VIII-X-XIII. 

Work in Primer and helps as outlined in the Teacher’s Manual of 
the system used. Use 30 to 50 pages basal Text and then read first 
section of other Primers. Introduce Phonics. 
Read from Primers following plan of reading earlier pages of each 
book, rather than completing any one. 

Continue Primer work, drill work. etc. Read at least five Primers 
before taking up First Readers. Introduce some Silent Reading. 
Follow same plan of sectioning First Readers as was done in Pri- 
mers. Group children in pairs for reading orally without the teach- 
er’s supervision. 

Continue work with First Readers. From seven to twelve books 
in all should be read in the first grade. 


Grade Two 
Six Weeks Period 
Continue throughout the year drill work in Flash Cards and Phon- 
ics. Read beginning portions of several readers. Follow plan of 


the Basal System in use. 
Continue drill work. Use both oral and silent reading emphasizing 


the former through group w ies 
1 


Oe 


-Continue work of previous session. 

Continue work of previous session. 

Continue work of previous session. 

At least five readers should be read in class and group exercises. 
Also several should be read as individual projects. 


Grade Three 
Six Weeks Period 
Note—When a certain classic is called for, others from the list may 


be substituted. 


1, 


Se asks oo eee 


Continue Flash Card Drill—also Phonics work. Continue work in 
both Oral and Silent Reading. Introduce plan of Section I of this 
course of study. Use-Readers. 

Continue work of first period. Read Fifty-Famous Stories, as well 
as readers. 

Continue work of previous period. Read Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and 
readers. 

Continue work of previous period. Read Zuni Folk Tales, and 
readers. . 

Continue work of previous period. Read Dutch Twins and readers. 
Continue work of previous period. Read Fast O’ the Sun and read- 
ers. A total of at least 8 or 10 books should be read. 


Grade Four 
Six Weeks Period 
Note—When a certain classic is called for, others from the list may 


be substituted. 


I 


CVO Cab) 


Follow outline of work given in Section I of this course of study. 
Use readers throughout the year. Read Adventures of Pinnocchio. 
See Ist Period. In addition read Andersen’s Fairy Tales. 

See lst Period. Read Adventures of a Brownie. 

See Ist Period. Read Little White Indian Boy. 

See Ist Period. Read Peter Pan. 

See Ist Period. Read Krag and Johnny Bear. Every child should 
read at least eight or ten books during the year. 


Grade Five 
Six Weeks Period 
Note—When a certain classic is called for another from the list may 


be substituted. 


ie 


Ano 


Follow outline of work given in Section I of this course of study, 
throughout the year. Also use readers during entire year; select 
material. Read Heidi. 

See first period. Read Wonder Book. 

See first period. Read Just So Stories. 

See first period. Read Lives of the Hunted. 

See first period. Read A Dog of Flanders. 

See first period. Read Bird’s Christmas Carol. Every child should 
read at least ten books. 


Grade Six 
Six Weeks Period 
Note—When a certain classic is called for another from the list may 


be substituted. 


1. 


Follow outline of work given in Section I of this course of study 

throughout the year. Make selections from the reader during the 

entire year. Read Robinson Crusoe. 

See first period. Read Two Little Confederates. 

See first period. Read King of the Golden River. 
18 


See first period. Read Jungle Book. ; 

See first period. Read Rip Van Winkle. . 
See first period. Read Wild Animals I Have Known. Every child 
should read at least ten books. 


Shieh ie 


Grade Seven 
Six Weeks Period 


Note—When a certain classic is called for another from the same 
list may be substituted. 
Continue the work of the previous grades in perceptual drills. Fol- 
low the reading outline in Section. I. Read Two Little Savages. 
See first period. Read Courtship of Miles Standish. 
See first period. Read King Arthur Poems. 
See first period. Read Kindred of the Wild. 
See first period. Read Great Stone Face. 
ome period. Read Jo’s Boys. Every pupil should read at least 
ooks. 


rt eh 


Grade Eight 
Six Weeks Period 


Note—When a certain classic is called for another from the same list 
may be substituted. 

1. Continue the work of the previous grades in perceptual drills. Fol- 
low the outline in Section I. Use selections from the Reader. Read 
Treasure Island. 
See first period. Read Prince and The Pauper. 
See first period. Read Snowbound. 
See first period. Read Julius Caesar. 
See first period. Read Evangeline. 
See first period. Read The Man Without a Country. Pupils of 
this grade should read at least 12 books. 


Deno 


X. The Daily Program in Reading. 


What can be expected as a minimum in daily reading pro- 
gram in the average rural school? 

_ First a general reading period as described in Section I 
participated in by all the children of the school. This provides 
for twenty-five to thirty minutes of reading diversified as silent 
reading, oral reading and tests. Such a program provides ade- 
quately for the needs of the upper grades so far as formal in- 
struction in reading is concerned. 

Second, with beginners, there should be provided at least 
one other ten to fifteen minute oral reading period under the 
immediate direction of the teachers: Such a class should be 
conducted in accordance with the provisions of the system of 
reading in use. Most teachers will find it advisable to follow 
the Manual furnished with the basal readers in use. The pur- 
pose should be to widen the:child’s reading vocabulary, to 
teach him right reading habits, and to introduce’material that 
may be read independently in later unsupervised periods. 

Third, in addition to this period a five minute phonics pe- 
riod should be provided during the day. Phonics instruction 
should be given separate from the regular reading period. 


19 


When it can be more easily done several five minute read- 
ing periods for primary children will be found even more satis- 
factory than one ten or fifteen minute period. Where time al- 
lows a second supervised reading period for other primary 
grades is advisable, but not absolutely necessary. 

Fourth, provision should be made on the study program 
of all except the upper grades for a number of reading periods 
to take the place of the usual provision for busy work and 
study periods. Most of the time devoted to both of these ac- 
tivities is wasted time. These periods may consist of: 

(a) Group oral reading in the back of the room. (See 
Section IIT.) 

(b) Reading by groups of the younger children under 
the direction of an older child who can spare the time. See 
Section IV.) 

(c) Individual reading by pupils in spdre time. It will 
be:found an excellent plan where room and furniture permit 
to provide a “Reading Table” in the rear of the room where 
children may read books, magazines, etc. This makes it easier 
to control this activity than it is when children read at their 
desks. Some day, rural schools will have “Library Rooms” off 
from the main classroom for this and other activities, so situate 
ed as to be easily supervised by the teacher. 

(d) Much of the material outlined to be read in the 
Course of Study in History, Nature Study, Geography, Hy- 
giene, etc. before formal study of an organized curriculum be- 
gins, can be handled successfully in these unsupervised read- 
ing periods. 


XI. Correct Habits in Early Reading. 


1. The child should not point to words being read. Use a 
strip of cardboard or tagboard the width of the page as a place 
finder. 

2. The teacher should set a good example in board work 
by not pointing to words. 

3. Phonics should follow the learning of a beginning vo- 
cabulary, not precede it. 

4. Have the child read the sentence silently clear through 
before attempting to read it orally. 


5. Word drills should not be on single words, but with 


the words in sentences. 

6. Keep books on the book shelf and pass them out as re- 
quired for work assigned. The same is true of other material 
used. 

7. Have the child interested in the story to be read before 
trying to read it through; this may be accomplished by telling 
part of the story, talking about its pictures, etc. 


20 


XII. Using Group Reading as Busy Work. 


One of the outstanding problems of the rural school is 
work for the younger children during long periods of the day 
between recitations. These periods may be made valuable by 
putting in various reading exercises; these may be oral group 
reading in the back of the room, oral reading in pairs by the 
primary children, phrase or sentence drills with a child as lead- 
er, phonic drills with a child as leader, and silent book reading 
at the reading table. 


XIII. Thorndike Word List. 


The following list of words are taken from “The Teachers’ 
Word Book” E. L. Thorndike, published by Teachers’ College, 
Columbia University by special permission. The words used 
are the 500 occurring most commonly in child literature. 


a being company fall 
about believe corn family 
above best could far 
across better country fast 
after between course father 
again big cover fear 
against bird cross feel 
air black cut feet 
all blow dark few 
almost blue day field 
alone body dead fill 
along book dear find 
also both death fine 
always boy deep fire 
am bread did first 
and bring die five 
an brother do floor 
among brought does flower 
another build done fly 
answer burn door follow 
any but down food 
apple buy draw foot 
are by dress for 
arm call drink form 
around came drive . found 
AM) can during four 
at care each free 
away carry ear fresh 
back case early friend 
bad cause earth from 
ball certain east front 
bank change eat full 
be child egg garden 
bear children end gave 
because church enough general 
become city even get 
bed clear ever girl 
been close every give 
before cold eye given 
begin color face glad 
behind come fair go 


21 


him 
himself 
his 
hold 
home 
hope 
horse 
hot 
hour 
house 
how 
hundred 


lead 
learn 
leave 
left 
length 
less 

let 
letter 
life 
light 
like 
line 
little 
live 
long 
look 
lost 
love 
low 
made 
make 
man 
many 
mark 
matter 
may 
me 
mean 
measure 
meet 
men 
might 
mile 
milk 
mind 
mine 
miss 
money 
month 
more 
morning 
most 
mother 
mountain 
move 
much 
must 
my 
name 
near 
need 
never 
next 
night 
no 
north 
not 
nothing 
now 
number 


person 
picture 
piece 
place 
plain 
plant 
play 
please 
point 
poor 
power 
present 
pretty 


reason 
receive 
red 
remember 
remain 
rest 

rich 

ride 

right 
river 
road 

rock 

roll 

room 
round 
run 

said 

sail 

same 


22 


Saw 


say 
school 
sea 
second 
see 
seem 
seen 
send 
sent 
serve 
set 
several 
shall 
she 
ship 
short 
should 
show 
side 
sight 
silver 
since 
sing 
sister 
sit 

six 
sleep 
small 
Ye) 

soft 
soldier 
some 
something 
sometime 
son 
soon 
sound 
south 
speak 
spring 
stand 
Start 
state 
stay 
step 
still 
stone 
stop 
story 
street 
strong 
such 
summer 
sun 
sure 
sweet 
table 
take 
talk 


“4 


tell 

ten 
than 
thank 
that 
the 
their 
then 
them 
there 
these 
they 
thing 
think 
third 
this 
those 
though 
thought 
thousand 
three 
through 
till 


to-day 
together 
too 
took 
top 
town 
train 
tree 
true 
try 
turn 
two 
under 
until 


23 


why 
wide 
will 
wind 
window 
winter 
wish 
with 
without 
woman 
wood 
word 
work 
world 
would 
write 
year 
yet 
you 
young 
your 


Course of Study in Language 


1. Teacher’s Reference Books: 


Teachers should be provided with the following in addi- 


tion to the regular text; include them in your textbook order: 
Sheridan: “Speaking and Writing English,’ Benj. H. 
Sanborn & Co. or, 


Mahoney: “Standard i in ‘English, i World Book Co. Alsc. 


Meek and Wilson: “English Today” Book III, Scribner’ s 
for material on conducting an English Club.” 

Peterson: “First Steps in English Composition” ra sug- 
gestions on conducting a class, and on vitalizing descriptive 
matter. 

Adsit: “Sense Training by Games,” University of Wyo- 
ming. 

Deming: “Language Games for All Grades,’ Beckley, 
Cardy Co. 

This course is very largely based on Sheridan’s “Speaking 
and Writing English,” and all quotations not otherwise cred- 
ited are from this book. 


II. Plan for the Use of This Course of Study. 


This course is designed to accomplish certain definite pur- 
poses in the rural schools. Chief among these are: 

(a) Proper emphasis of Oral English. 

(b) Effective attention to the elimination of incorrect 
usage. 

(c) Fixing of definite standards of accomplishment for 
each grade. 

(d) Such combination of classes‘as will reduce the num- 
ber of recitations daily, with a proportionately greater time for 
the recitation period of each child. 

Consequently the proposed daily program given below 
provides for: 

First. A daily drill in correct usage. 

Second. A balanced course in Oral English, Written En- 
glish, and Formal Grammar, in the order of their importance 
to the child in the formation of correct language habits. 

Third. Such combination of classes as will allow for lar- 
ger groups and fewer recitations. 

This program is suggestive only. It should be modified 
to meet the requirements and conditions of each school. In 
some cases it will be found advantageous to place the 3rd grade 

24. 


with the intermediate group for some written work.» The 
teacher should preserve fluidity in her grouping, allowing the 
borderline children to work in one or two groups as the needs 
of the children suggest. | 

The following daily language program will aid the teacher 
in formulating one fitting her conditions. 


Time Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday. 


5 minutes Correct Usage, Pronunciation and Enunciation Drill 
15 minutes Grades Grades Tens ral io Oral’ 4—3 Oral 
15 minutes 1—8 1-8 4—6 (ral 4--6 Oral 4-6 Oral 
15 minutes Vacate ea 7=—§ Orain 7-48: Oral) '7—8 Oral 


Oral Language lessons for grades 4-8 may be combined. 
Types of material to be used will be described in succeed- 
ing sections. 


III. Drill Work: 


The five minute drill period provided for in the preceding 
section should be given every day. ‘Two general types of work 
may be taken up. 

(a) Drills for the correction of incorrect language forms, 
as I done it, I seen it, I come yesterday. 

(b) Drills for the correction of faulty pronunciation 
and enunciation. 

The teacher can best make her own list of words for each 
type of drill. A survey of the errors of speech, pronunciation 
and enunciation common to the community will give better re- 
sults than one secured from any Course of Study. 

The following are types of drills for the correction of er- 
rors in language forms, with directions for giving them. They 
should be given daily. They may be supplemented by language 
games, in the lower grades. 

‘The teacher should give either the incorrect form, or a 
question calling for the correct form and the children should 
respond in unison with the correct form. In the country school 
_all the children should work together m these drills. Other 

methods of response which may be used after the children be- 
come accustomed to the drills are: 

1. Have children respond individually. 

2. The children may be divided into two groups, and take 
sides, then the sentences are responded to, first by one side and 
then by the other. 

3. Questions and incorrect forms may be written on the 
board and the responses made in writing. 


25 


Types of Drills to be Used: 


Teacher Pupils 
I seen a man. I saw a man. 
He et some candy. He ate some candy. 
I come to school yesterday. I came to school yesterday. 
She drunk a glass of water. She drank a glass of water. " 
I done my lesson. I did my lessons. 
I ain’t got no chalk. I have no chalk. 
Teacher . Pupil 
What did you see this morning? I saw a horse this morning. 
What did you eat for breakfast? I ate some mush for breakfast. 
Did you do your work? Yes, I did my work. 
What did you drink this morning? I drank some milk this morning. 
What have you seen to-day? I have seen a horse to-day. 
Who took my book? It was he. 


The following are types of words, expressions, and verb 
forms which are often incorrectly used. Either of the above 
two types of drills may be used for the correction of them. 
Forms of verb to be—am not; is not; are not. 
Contractions—isn’t; aren't. 

Past participle for the imperfect form—seen; done. 
Verbs with similar forms—tlie, lay; sit, sat. 

Double negative—I ain’t got no; I don’t have no. 
Inelegant expressions—off of; awfully; terrible; per- 
fectly lovely ; lots of. 

7. Use of the wrong word—learned,taught; funny, queer; 
theirselves, themselves; acrost, across; feel nicely, fell well. 

8. Double subject—these-they ; John-he; The boys-they ; 
Rose-she. 

The daily drills in correct forms of speech will be of more 
value in establishing good habits in speech than will studies 
given over to more detail. 

For enunciation drills the following list borrowed from 
Sheridan is given. Such a list should be supplemented by 
words commonly mispronounced in the community, or vy 
words that will tend to correct slovenly habits of speech. 


COIN tea ag He 


arctic depths e height perhaps 
again different history pillow 
athlete discovery hollow poem 
attacked drowned hundred poetry 
asked eleven jewelry strength 
business elm kept studied 
catch every length sword 
children fellow library to-morrow 
chimney geography machinery usually 
deaf government often vellow 
delivery grocery overalls 


In General 


“1. Give drill lessons to correct faults of enunciation, 
until the pupils form the habit of avoiding the faults in ordin- 
ary speech. 

2. Show the proper position and use of the necessary or- 
gans of speech involved in the production of the correct sound. 

3. Pronounce slowly, enunciate clearly and distinctly. 
With foreign children sound is of greater importance than the 
form in the beginning. 

4. Give special attention to ear-training. 

5. Train the pupils to listen carefully to the teacher, to 
watch her speak, and to imitate her. 

6. Insist all the time upon careful enunciation, exact 
enunciation—no LWINGEIS, (Oy wahter,., OL, Sawt,.. nO 

“yveh’s” no “yep’s” for yes.’’—Sheridan. 


IV. Oral Language. 


‘Oral Language is more than mere conversation. Accord- 
ing to Sheridan—‘Oral composition as the term is used in this 
course of study, means a great deal more than ordinary talking 
or conversation, which as often as not is fragmentary and dis- 
connected. By oral composition is meant a body of connected 
speech, large enough in scope to demand attention -to its struc- 
ture and form. All the qualities that are to be developed in 
the written composition may be, and ought to be, developed 
first in the oral exercise: Choice and‘variety of words, qual- 
ity and variety of sentences, and arrangement of sentences in 
a paragraph. This development will, of course, be slow and 
gradual. But there will be no improvement at all unless 
children are habituated from the first to be critical of their 
spoken English, in so far, at least, as the more flagrant mis- 
takes in syntax are concerned, and the more fundamental mat- 
ters of sentence structure and use of connectives.” 

And, “An effective course in oral composition should in- 
clude the following essential things: 

(1) Much opportunity for free self-expression. 

(2) Constant attention to matters of voice, enunciation, 
pronunciation, and inflection. 

(3) The training of children, by constant practice, to 
compose oral paragraphs upon simple themes, and the devel- 
opment, through these, of some elementary skill in selecting, 
arranging, and expressing their ideas. 

(4) Unremitting efforts in all grades to eliminate the 
common errors of speech.” (p. 5). 

Several other points in connection with oral composition 
need emphasis: 

1. Sheridan advocates the three sentence oral composi- 


tion in 1 all erades when the work is first started. In the lower 
27 


grades a three or four sentence oral composition should be the 
standard even later. 

2. One of the fundamental purposes of all composition, 
and especially the oral work, is to develop what Sheridan calls 
“sentence sense.” (pp. 40-45). One of the chief causes of error, 
in written composition, even up into the grammar grades, is 
the inability to recognize sentences. Mastery of this problem 
does not come through teaching a definition of a sentence, but 
through constant drill. Several oral sentences may be devel- 
oped while one is being written. Consequently oral composi- 
tion offers a field for the development of this ability to “feel” 
sentences. Do not use technical terms. Sentences either say 
something or ask something. Assignments in oral composition 
below the grammar grades should be in the form of “Prepare 
a (number) sentence composition on such and such a subject.” 

3. Get rid of the “run-on’” sentence; “and”, “so } and 
“then”, participial phrases, and groups of clauses are to be 
avoided. Insist on short simple sentences’ in all primary and 
intermediate grades. 

4. Use subjects that are personal and definite. The fol- 
lowing are examples of good and poor subjects for composi- 
tion work: 


Poor Because Im- ‘ 
Good personal Poor Because Indefinite 
My Baseball outfit The Horse How I spent my Vacation 
My New Dress Our Flag A Day in the Woods 


My Pet Dog 
My First Job 
My New Radio 


An Automobile 
The Weather 
Mountains 


A Week-end in Camp 
A Long Trip 
Wyoming 


See Sheridan, Mahoney, and Peterson for suggestions. 

5. ‘Teach pupils to select some single phase or point in 
connection with a subject and elaborate on that. ‘The fol- 
lowing examples taken from Sheridan will illustrate this 
point: 


Good 
Children’s Day 


“Sunday is children’s day. We 
have to say many things. I will 
shiver while I am saying them.” 


Today 
“To-day it is raining. I have no 
coat. But I will not get wet. I 
have an umbrella.” 


Poor 
The Butterflies 
“The butterflies are very pretty. 
They have wings of many colors. 
There are many different kind of 
butterflies.” 


Flag Day 
“To-day is Flag Day. The first 
flag was made by Betsy Ross. 
It was made June fourteen.”’ 


There is also much good material in Peterson on this point 
with suggestions for securing a single point of view. 

6. An effort should be made to secure interesting open- 
ing sentences that will cause one to want to read or hear the 


rest of the composition. 


Also teach the children to avoid 


“tag-end” sentences in concluding a composition; teach them 
to say what they have to say and stop. 


V. Written Composition. 

Every problem present in the teaching of oral Dertnaciien 
is also present in written composition. The development of 
“sentence sense,’ definite personal subjects, short clear-cut 
sentences, elaboration of a “single phase” or point of view, 
good beginnings and endings are just as vital to good written 
work as to oral language. In addition, there are the following 
problems: 

1. Ability to write. 

2. Correct spelling. 

3. Capital letters. 

4. Puctuation. 

5. Paragraphing. 

It must be remembered that every one of these problems 
is a conscious one for the young child. Consequently, the 
amount of written work should be limited, until some, at least, 
of these problems are solved. 

1. Written work in the first grade should be developed 
through at least four steps. 

(a) Devices for learning a vocabulary, closely allied with 
reading. Various seat exercises may be devised by the skillful 
teacher. See Teacher’s Manual with Bolenius’ Primer and 
First Reader for various devices. Prominent among them are 
written directions for the coloring of hectographed or cut-out 
figures. 

(bh) sCutsup stories. to be put together and ‘read- Old 
primers can be utilized in this way. 

(c) Copying of sentences from the board with word 
cards. 

(d) Copying of sentences from the board with letter 
cards. 

Note the following points: 

(1) Use word and letter cards having capitals on one 
side and small letters on the other. Have in the set period and 
question marks and insist on their use. 

(2) Do not give the child many more words or letters 
than he needs for the exercise. Time spent in sorting over a 
miscellaneous mess of letters or words is a waste of time. 

“At the end of every such seat-work period, the teacher 
should direct the class as follows: = 

Before I look at your work look at it yourself to see if your 
letters are placed in a straight line across the desk. 
Is there a space between words? 
Read it over. Is every word there? 
Look at each word. Is every letter there? 
Are the letters right side up? 
Is there a capital at the beginning of every sentence? 
Is there a period at the end of every sentence? 
i si (Sheridan, page 27.) 


2. Copying in script may be begun late in the first year 
or in the second grade. The sentences to be copied should be 
those developed in Oral Language. 

3. The goal to be reached in the elementary grades (1 to 
8) is defined by Sheridan to be: 


“1. To turn out pupils able to stand before the class and talk 
for a minute or two upon a subject within the range of their know- 
ledge or experience, speaking plainly, in clean-cut sentences, and 
without common grammatical mistakes. 

2. To turn out pupils able to write with fair facility an orig- 
inal paragraph upon a subject within the range of their experience 
or their interests. 

Such a paragraph should show: 

1. An absolute mastery of ‘the sentence idea.’ 

2. Freedom from glaring grammatical mistakes. 

3. Correct spelling of all ordinary words. 

4. Unfailing use of the commonest marks of punctuation. 

5. Some evidence of attention to matters of sentence struc- 
ture and to the choice of words.” (Sheridan, p. 3) 


See Minimal Essentials by grades, in Secton X. 


4. QOne-paragraph compositions and letters are recom- 
mended throughout the course. Eliminate from the text-book 
assignment lessons calling for a larger amount of written 
work. No paragraph should exceed seven or eight sentences 
in length. Focus the attention on doing well a smaller amount 
of written work than has been the custom. 

5. Much time is misspent in the correction of composi- 
tions by teachers. The following means of improving this 
situation are suggested: 

(a) Substitute for much after-class correction inspection 
of the work while it is being done. Individual errors may be 
corrected in this manner, or common errors may be discovered 
and the attention of the class called to them. 

(b) Do not forget that the purpose of this correction is 
not a perfect paper, but a better writer. It is not necessary 
to find and correct every error. ‘Hold the pupil to as:near per- 
fection as possible in the points he should know; ignore punc- 
tuation, spelling, etc., that are beyond the point he has reached 
in the course. Remember most children can think and say 
things they have not yet learned to write, and cannot be ex- 
pected to know how to write. 

(c) Center your attention on a few errors and attempt 
to eradicate them. Get the cooperation of the children in elim- 
inating these. - 

6. ‘Teach pupils to correct their own compositions. Sher- 
idan says: “Now it is not the pupil's composition that we 
want to make perfect. We want to make the pupil’s power 
to write one a little less imperfect. The product upon which 
teachers expend so much time in their correction is of little 
importance. It is the pupil’s power to see his own defects and 

30 


to remedy them that is all important. The whole purpose of 
the teacher’s correction should be to cultivate in their pupils 
the habit of self-criticism. Therefore the only correction of 
compositions that is of any earthly use is that which trains 
pupils to correct their own.” 

As a means of assisting the child in the correction of his 
own composition the following points should be observed by 
the pupil: 

“1. To select a subject out of his experience which he is 
sure can be handled interestingly in a single short paragraph. 

2. To settle what particular phase of his experience he 
shall choose for the “point” of the paragraph. 

3. To think over in advance a title for the paragraph 
which shall best express the particular “point” selected. 

4. To think out in advance a good beginning sentence 
that will lead straight to the heart of the thing, instead of 
wasting half the paragraph “getting ready to get ready” to 
tell the story. 

5. To think out an ending sentence that will clinch the 
point of the story—preferably a sentence carrying the writer’s 
personal reaction upon the experience narrated or described. 

6. To hold himself to the use of fairly short sentences, 
each of which has one and only one principal thought. 

7. After the first rough draft, to correct and improve the 
paragraph, by reading it “out loud to himself” several times, 
paying attention separately to such matters as, these: 

(a) The first time to inspect and improve the paragraph 
as a whole; good title; prompt beginning; snappy ending; no 
trivial detail; better choice of words—more expressive verbs, 
more telling adjectives. 

(b) The second time to improve his sentence structure 
and his grammar; to note when a long sentence may be broken 
into two shorter ones with advantage, or when a succession of 
very short sentences, giving a “choppy” effect, may be made 
into slightly longer sentences, connected by some other words 
than “and,” or “but,” and other overworked connectives; to 
see that every verb agrees in number with its subject, and 
every pronoun with its antecedent. 

(c) The third time to make sure that every sentence be- 
gins with a capital and ends with the proper mark; to see that 
commas are used where they are necessary to the sense; to run 
his eyes over the words to see that each is spelled correctly, 
particularly those words which have proved his downfall 
many times before.’’—Sheridan. ~ 

7. No written work is to be done in grades one to three, 
inclusive, that is not supervised by the teacher. Wherever 
possible, composition lessons in all grades should be super- 
vised. 


8. Language work should be closely correlated in the 
lower grades with History, Geography, and Nature Study. 
VI. Formal Grammar. 

1. No formal grammar should be taught that cannot be 
directly applied to the improvement of the child’s, English, _ 
written and spoken. 

2. It is questionable if studying the rules of grammar 
assists much with most children in securing better diction, 
either oral or written. 

3. The amount of grammar to be taught should be deter- 
mined by the needs of the elementary child and not by the de- 
mands of the high school teacher. 

4. The following is suggested as about the amount of 
technical grammar that can be justified in the light of present 
day thought : 

(a) “The child entering the seventh cme should be fam- 
iliar with terms such as are necessary for the intelligent dis- 
cussion of language errors and forms that belong in the lower 
grades of the course. Among these are: singular and plural, 
possessive, sentence, etc. 

(b) A reasonable course for the child leaving the eighth 
grade might include parts of speech; elements of a simple sen- 
tence; how to use phrases and clauses; such classification of 
parts of speech as apply directly to good usage; the inflections 
that affect language forms; and the past participle in perfect 
and passive forms of the verb. 

(c) The following points can hardly justify their place in 
an elementary school course on the grounds of applicability to 
correct usage: classification of sentences according to form, 
classes of nouns other than proper and collective, classes of 
adverbs and adjectives, classes of pronouns, classes of verbs, 
case of nouns, conjugation of verbs, mood, extensive analysis 
of sentences, parsing, person of nouns, etc. 

5. Grammar can best be taught as the child feels the need 
of an explanation or the reasons for language corrections. It 
should always be so applied. Until the child is mentally devel- 
oped to the point where he seeks such reasons, the teaching of 
formal grammar will be a waste of time. 

6. If the plan suggested in Section II for the organiza- 
tion of the language period is followed, and an organized 
course in Grammar is desired, it will be necessary to provide 
a separate period for it during the day. 


VII. Memory Work and Stories. 


Many of the poems listed below as well as many stories 
can be found in “Children’s Literature,’ Curry-Clippinger, 
published by Rand McNally Co. ) 

At least six poems should be taught in each grade. First 
and second grade children should be grouped together, each 

32 


list being given in alternate years. 
the work may be individual, or groups of children may learn 
The latter will be found the most 
satisfactory way if the poems are to be the basis of other lan- 
Children may be allowed to select from each 


the poems of a given year. 


guage lessons. 


grade list the six poems they prefer. 


Stories should be read or told to the children, and made 


the basis of Language Lessons. 


— 


SOC LO ss Shoes 


— 


Sas ct 


ie ee Ot 


Graded Memory List 


Grade I 
(Stevenson) 
Rain. 
The Friendly Cow. 
My Shadow. 


Time to Rise. 

My Bed is a Boat. 

The Swing. 

The Land of Story-Books. 
Where Go the Boats. 

The Wind. 

Land of Counterpane. 
Mother Goose Rhymes. 


Grade II 


(Eugene Field) 
Mother and Child. 
Why do the Bells for Christmas Ring. 
The Night Wind. 
A Norse Lullaby. 
Good Children Street. 
Sugar-Plum Tree. 
The Rock-a-bye Lady. 
Wynken, Blynken and Nod. 
The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat. 
Little Boy Blue. 


Grade III 


The Children’s Hour—Longfellow. 
Hiawatha’s Childhood—Longfellow. 
Hiawatha’s Friends—Longfellow. 

The Piper—William Blake. 

My Playmate—William Blake. 

The Barefoot Boy—William Cullen Bryant. 
Who Has Seen the Wind—Rosetti. 

Boats Sail on the Rivers—Rosetti. 
Daisies—Frank Dempster Sherman. 
Snowbird—Frank Dempster Sherman. 


33 


Above the second grade 


—" 


— 


— 


—_— 


— 


OM a Sa OR a= ae 


fa ee ar Se 


had eae ne te a EN 


Rectiee oT NS tor C9 IN 


Grade IV 
The Mountain and the Squirrel—Emerson. 
October’s Bright Blue Weather—Jackson. 
A Visit from St. Nicholas—Moore. 
The Walrus and the Carpenter—Lewis Carroll. 
America—Smith. 
Wyoming State Song—Winter. 
The Village Blacksmith—Longfellow. 
In School Days—Whittier. 
Nature’s Hired Man—John K. Bangs. 
Robin Redbreast—Allingham. 


Grade V 
Old Ironsides—Oliver W. Holmes. 
The Brook—Tennyson. 
Landing of the Pilgrims—Hemans. 
A Psalm of Life—Longfellow. 
Star Spangled Banner—F. S. Key. 
Lochinvar—Scott. ‘ 
Bugle Song—Tennyson. 
Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind—Shakespeare. 
Paul Revere’s Ride—Longfellow. 
The Sand Piper—Celia Thaxter. 


Grade VI 


Columbus—Joaquin Miller. 

Charge of the Light Brigade—Tennyson. 
Hohenlinden—Campbell. 

Incident of the French Camp—Browning. 
He Prayeth Best—Coleridge. 

The Day is Done—Longfellow. 

To a Waterfowl—Bryant. 

Abou Ben Adhem—Leigh Hunt.. 

The Flag Goes By—Bennett. 

Breathes There the Man—Scott. 


Grade VII 
Flanders Field—McCrae. 
The Name of Old Glory—Riley. 
The Chambered Nautilus—Holmes. 
For a’ That—Burns. 
Vision of Sir Launfal—Lowell. 
“What is so rare as a day in June?” 
Daffodils—William Wordsworth. 
Battle Hymn of the Republic—Julia W. Howe. 
The Shepherd of King Admetus—Lowell. 
Home Thoughts from Abroad—Browning. 
From “Horatius’—T. B. Macaulay. 


Grade VIII 
O Captain, My Captain—Whitman. 
Tree—Kilmer. 
Address at Gettysburg—Lincoln. 
Song of the Chattahoochee—Lanier. 
Recessional—Kipling. 
The Rhodora—Emerson. 
I Would Be True (My Creed)—Walters. 
The Soldier—Rupert Brooke. 
Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight—Lindsay. 
Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard.—Thomas Gray. 
34 


“4 


VIII. Picture Study in the Language Course. 


Material for the Teachers 

How to Show Pictures to Children—Hurll, Houghton, 
Mifflin Co. 

Appreciation of Pictures—Bulletin U. S. Bureau of Edu- 
cation, Washington, D. C 

Art Bulletin No. Walls and Pictures, University of 
North Dakota, Fargo, North Dakota. 

Home iho tetera Bulletin— Pictures Suitable for Home 
and School, State Agricultural College, Ames, Iowa. 

Leaflets dealing with the different painters may be se- 
cured ata isirinsene! cost from C. M. Parker Publishing Co., 
Taylorville, Il. 


Where to Secure Pictures 

Prints may be secured from any of the following, as well 
as from others not listed: 

Campbell Art Co., Elizabeth, New Jersey. 

Lincoln Art Co., Lincoln, Nebraska. 

Elson Art Publishing Co., Belmont, Mass. . 

Brown Robertson Co., Inc., 415 Madison Ave., New York. 

Colonial Art Co., 1336 W. Ist, Oklahoma City. 


Picture Study in the Language Class 

For work in picture study, schools may use the miniature 
prints in booklets, calendars, and for other decorative pur- 
poses. In addition the school should have a larger print, large 
enough to be seen over the room, of the picture being studied 
each period. These can be bought in excellent color prints at 
a very nominal cost. 

It is suggested that the eroup recommended for First 
Grade be bought the first year, for the rural school, and that 
they be studied by the entire school. The following year, the 
second grade group may be bought, and studied with a brief 
review of the previous year’s list. This plan may be con- 
tinued from year to year, at a very small annual cost to the 
school. At the end of an eight year period the school will 
possess a very fine collection of 48 color prints, and the child- 
ren who have covered such a course will be familiar with good 
reproductions of a number of the world’s great paintings. 
Prints of a uniform size, not less than approximately 8 by 10 
inches, should pe secured, mounted, if possible, on mounts of 
uniform ‘size. A frame with removable back can then be 
bought or made by the boys in manual training of a size to fit 
these mounts. and the picture of each period can be hung ina 
prominent place while being studied, to be replaced by the 
next on the list, the following period. The prints not in use 
should be kept in some durable receptacle to prevent their be- 
ing injured and getting soiled. 


35 


Miniatures of each picture should be used, of course, dur- 
ing the same period in which it is studied. An effort should 
be made to study pictures that are appropriate to the period 
in which they are being used. For example, one of the Ma- 
donnas should be studied at the Christmas season; patriotic . 
pictures during February; etc. 


Grade I 
Six From the Following List: 

Feeding ‘Her Birds. Moc aeere oR as a ee Millet 
Interior (of a Cott ge. 5 ae 65 ee ne ae Isreals 
Baby cssttar ta cetncstaccecaey lrpes amare ei ceane te eee eee Van Dyck 
SUPPER DAMM | ooasece peer eaten nicceeteeacree tree ones cgay i gee Klumpke 
Madonnaot ‘thé! Chairie cio ot Re Se Fone ee Raphael 
Girl With A pple 222g 0 ee Ee rte tee ee Greuze 
On (the Beach eee eer ce ee a ee Blommers 
Cat and (Kittens [iio eae see se ce ee ee Adam 
Amyel tbl ends: 00S. so cs Seb ie As Pe cece ee Reynolds 
There :Is' No’ Place Dike’ Home.) 22.4525.22 eae eee ee Firle 

Grade II 


Six From the Following List: 
In Pear and, Trembling... 7 noes cater ee ea 


SOWA eke 2 Oe eo aes eee eee Pa ee ee eee Barber 
The Helping Hand U3 20g ee cee dee Renouf 
SVE aa Ree eect ncn ey TAR sapien ces 90 pag Pe ee ee ee Landseer 
The’, Divine; Shepherdivnk Qawnk Wie ee eee Murillo 
Children iiCatching (Mumowsau4:2.4... 225he eee ee eee 
Ae 1 Oe Et Se ene n et Min cn men cas ec DR ea eT Sullen 
TH ar va py OAC Cn oat coe ee gee sconce tanthg aa eMac ees Ee tes ee Maud Earl 
Par’ the PASt Ore ee ow coche ce tence ant ae cate och eae ge ete Dupre 
Av Scanty “Meal 2 test. 2 Ee eee, ee Herring 
Grade III 
Six From the Following List: 
GChildrén:ot/ Charles Aine fortis ei ei ee ee Van Dyck 
The’ Sewing,  chools 0G nthe ges ei alata ate Pee ee 
ADEA OTe LDMOCEN COLT sou eeuk aes es ee ees ee Reynolds 
A Distinguished Member of the Humane Society..........0............... Landseer 
The Childrenwf the Shella yagi AR ee ee eee Murillo 
The Boyhood ‘ottRaleighrsivec ee eee Millais 
ThepFog. Warning 23 cha ene ee Homer 
Aésthe Cottawe Doorsi0 ii eh Be ee eee Mauve 
In the Pas trre ee ee ee eee ee Jacque 
A Flower Girl m Hollands ee ea ee Hitchcock 
Grade IV 
Six From the Following List: 
Lhe knitting alessome 3 ale ee ee Millet 
Deertin :the: Horestace Go ae ee Bonheur 
The Coming of the White: Mairi ee eee ceria ee Reid 
Shoeitip ‘the Bay" Mare sons fhe Te eee Landseer 
Adoration sofithen lagi. Giese ee ae ei ae ees Velasquez 
The Appeal to the Great Spirit......... PP TEAMS Lala! WR ce R DS ee APF ate Bad yo Dallin 
A’ Golden Antumn sDayie Bet ole ehh he ce ea Marche 
SOLiNn gg es, tee cel wie eoede ts OPE cane i 2 Be Sn re een ee Douglass 
By the: River i654 56 oe lo ere eee Lerolle 


Bringing’ Home, the. New’ Borns Cali. coe. eae Millet 
36 


Grade V 
Six From the Following List: 


eyed Tad sa aah «FUE CES BEE 9 SB Melee? ee OR oC RE eae WR eed Mauve 
SUCRE Uh S52 JEON AU MU RY steel 5 ASD a SOIR cee EER CO MIRON ae 200 A Mauve 
ale pte aLe Ges Cale vera) hy Relelay As ANAS Shae Re al ks WR Uo foda Sembee Pec CSN Johnson 
ABT ASC ALES Ti ig, asia at eg Sa ae AS aa eel a GOL aR 8 Dupre 
Lae Care at dead DEG og acl ei a EEE DINE 5 Papell a ER adh gE a Troyon 
Taf P TE alee RE CoML ON FT bared eo MAP Rape LE AG RESS At aes 4 WAG A El eRe eka 
The Shepherdess... ye Ay PEM TRG kare PR eR ... Lerolle 
Washington Crossing Mien Dlelaw ater Uli aee Late cc aeete Lentre 
are Oe ETON CROs ee stre liie en a ee aa aw Lerolle 
CLCKEL Wa Ta REE Peerage Cel NLD tp 5 A Mea OR pete ae Rh aE De Forest Brush 
Grade VI 
Six From the Following List: 
Re OOS a eee ieee a rues Ob) el ala A) ely Hobbema 
EUSP OCR ih 9 vif abe? JA GL as Se ct i ROC er an Re ly Daa an RNAI LE Breton 
Deemer he erivena tierra s ete inl Vln nes oe Moag ) ut ees aed Turner 
pi iemaa sey Hiairmm cues? Coke apm heey oh y ee eee eg Cl Bonheur 
NT oh wt aot &a ns ENP CATE one ula? SUT God Re CH ey ee AON AE UN iTS We Peete ELS Bonheur 
BOTSIOT Ci ld PERS AYCAT «Vad het Se Sena Roe EN LA RUG AL est el AMEN TDM aR 8 Millet 
SRarVMR rare RTS en er aeh es Nester ain oe Ly ral eee el ed by Millet 
Sirermt terior c. takear eh ono Jo Welvew aks ee SMA Be ee Ne Mee |) Millet 
oe MC ea Nye a EAR es Wed flere Aa a Rs a ee On am ..Watts 
hn 2) LET On  IV E UA ai OR a AL enge Mak Ee PRD To EAB Set _-Ruysdael 
PEM tUa Riad On tthe UCDO mii cous. sole ead Ae eet Bouveret 
Grade VII 
Six From the Following List: 
FOal OroArc: Fearing’ the) Voicess cs 20 i wie eh Bastien Le Page 
MC ATA PEM gE cb ah Shas of gtevay Ns Wh Mtg Bea. Oa AS te Par EEL ODI NPE RA RE MP Corot 
SERB CICeH i> turret ar hr mun eee ee Se ie ah Jones 
PACE NCeT Gey TILT) Sentero ae Ween mene rmes Mine eh) Corot 
COT ANSGAR MES 28 SEG on a es Aa, SN 0 ee ORLY bh UH ya 
Opportunity and hie PS cables ac AP tated UAL ah” A ot CO ne em ese LTE Ryland 
Spier isu. Pa 3 Bas Ok ep, | Sy ae eS i a LD 9 5 
Pe emai herr ist suki other ies. cies) yeti Go iN SONNE Whistler 
EINE b oo ki Yo Dc WE Wap 8 NY Dione lea Be AD Ei U9 AUN | A OT Ue eg a ek 
RET COM VE ALOT Ila LOK lesey bl Scene tacit aor Ate ee Ed ia a ae Raphael 
Grade VIII 
Six From the Following List: 
PON dpe td LE at aie Che eal I aD ail 2 CENA a atic oY A SILO in a AB Guido Reni 
Be GPS SP oT bE hn W222 SANE ae a ae STE RY Se OR A Fat ORME END OY OREM Rembrandt 
Piliawe ea Citipnirom ¢hLOmen! wale. wisi ea ON Ae a, Alma ‘Tadema 
ineeasinoiippenor Nonanl tsa hes Leonardo de Vinci 
APG ROE SS for 3G QM ga ag A GS PMG USAT NOS Nan A Pate OMG PA URE NR Al aa Willard 
Signing the Declaration of Independence........0.2..21..20..2.-.ececeeneeeeoee Trumbull 
rT) PeLTHAL IT PESTITGOIIT ste Se ten Hsin) UGB Rh RL a ee Saint Gaudens 
Bye corr rics ri arent sos Seale se gu rt Med Wales nk eed Youll Gh a Gilbert Stuart 
ERTL Ct AAT OAL ACIS@ LL AYRE) Vecith spiel ade udkaccustictassabene sabes peeacoul Munkacsy 
em Me eaten ral cami Ua eet Me Leia tiene cat th Te DleCaay may cua 


PIM AC Thee teks wh er, ore ene ea Ue ete ene e weee COLT eS B10 


wo 
“NI 


IX. Work of Each Grade—Use of the Text Book. 


There has been outlined above, work in each of the fol- 
lowing fields: 

Correct Usage, and Pronunciation. 
Oral English. 

Written Composition. 

Memory Work. 

wricture-study: 

Methods have been suggested for carrying on these lines 
of work. Four and five are to furnish material for both oral and 
written composition, as well as to be pursued for their intrin- 
sic worth. In the primary grades, the courses in History and 
Geography and in Nature Study will also furnish material for 
language work. The teacher should plan each six weeks ses- 
sion so as to care for the work called for in each of the above 
fields. 

What is the function of the text-book in such a course? 
The oral language work, carried out as it is in groups ignor- 
ing grade lines, must of necessity be independent of regular 
text book assignments. There will be found, however, in every 
text many excellent suggestions for work in this field. The 
written work may be carried on either as group work or as 
individual assignments. In the latter case the text may be 
very closely followed, eliminating those technicalities not in 
the course and exercises based on such technicalities. As a 
source book for material a good text is very nearly indispen- 
sable. 


wR ON 


X. Minimal Essentials for the Grades. 


What should a child know in English who passes from the 
fourth grade? Few teachers can answer such a question. The 
following standards are an attempt to answer this and similar 
questions. These standards are derived from two sources: The 
general plan, with examples of compositions are from Sheri- 
dan’s “Speaking and Writing English.” In addition ten to 
twelve of the most commonly used text books on the market 
have been analyzed to find what technical points are common 
to the majority of these. All such material has not been in- 
cluded in the work required to meet standards, but some add1- 
tions to Sheridan’s standards have been made on this basis: © 

Fach year, before taking up the advance work, teachers 
should make sure that children are able to meet the standards 
of previous years. 

First Grade 

(a) The child should be able to give oral composition as 
good as the following, and should be able to copy them from 
the board with letter cards meeting the requirements in (b): 


38 


“1. In vacation I went to Boston. I saw the animals in 
Franklin Park. I liked the elephants best.” 

“2. Mary and I took a walk. We found a lost baby. We 
took it home to its mother.” 

“3. I wanted a ball very much. Mother has just given me 
one. It is a big blue one.’’—Sheridan. 

(b) The following are the standards for the letter card 
work at the close of the year: 

Speedy handling of cards. 

Placing letters right side up. 

Correct spacing of words. 

Making an even line across the desk. 
Correct use of capital and period. 
Correct spelling. 

Pupil’s name. 

Pupil’s address. 

. Name of School. 

(c) Six poems as well as Mother Goose Rhymes are to 
be committed to memory. 

(d) Children should have some familiarity with six pic- 
tures. 

(e) Asaresult of drills and games children should know 
that 15 or 20 of the common errors of speech are wrong, what 
the correct forms are, and should have made some progress in 
eliminating these errors from their daily speech. 


Second Grade 


~The Second Grade should be able to meet all standards 
set for the First Grade, and in addition, the following: 


(a) Oral composition as good as the following: 
“1, My cat cried and woke me up. I took her into bed with 
me. She got black hairs all over the bed.”’ 
“2. I pulled a string around the room. I didn’t know the cat 
was lying under the stove. He jumped out. That made me jump.” 
“3. When I[ was going up the walk, I saw a black thing on 
the porch. I was afraid. When I got upon the steps, I saw it 
was only my dog trying to get in.”—Sheridan. 
Elimination of the “run-on,”’ “and,’ and “and so” sen- 
tences should be a goal set for this year. 
(b) Written compositions: 
1. Ability to write three or four sentence compositions 
like those in (a) of original composition. 
2. Correct use of the capital at the beginning of the sen- 
tence, in persons’ names, and in the child’s address. 
3. The period and question mark at the close of the sen- 
tence. . 
4. The name of the school. 
(c) Six additional poems. 
(d) Six additional pictures. 
(e) A continuation of the drill work for correct usage, 


pronunciation and enunciation. 
39 


SO CO NID) on BO De 


Third Grade 


All standards set for grades below with the following in 
addition: 

(a) Oral compositions as good as the following: 

“This morning was the first time I drove my uncle’s horse. 
When I took him back to the barn and gave him some hay, he 
jumped. I think he jumped for joy.” 

“When I cross the street, I walk to the corner first. I look 
both ways. Ifa car or an auto is coming, I wait until it passes.” 

“My letter carrier wears a gray suit with brass buttons. He 
carries a leather bag over his shoulder. In this bag he puts the 
mail. He blows a whistle when he comes to the door.” 

—Sheridan. 

(b) Written Composition: 

1. Paragraph form should be introduced in this grade in 
three or four sentence compositions. 

2. Same uses of capitals as in the second grade and in ad- 
dition with names of places, days of the week, months of the 
year, town or postoffice, and Wyoming. 

3. Periods at the close of sentences, and after abbrevia- 
tions of Mr., Mrs., Dr., St. or Ave., Wyo., and possibly the 
abbreviations of the months. 

4. Question mark and exclamation point. 

(c) Six additional poems. Review those learned befo¢e. 

(d) Six additional pictures. 

(e) A continuation of the work in correct usage, pronun- 
ciation, and enunciation, with written work in correct usage 
added. 


Fourth Grade 


All standards set for grades below with the following 
added: 
(a) Oral compositions up to the following standards: 


“THE SURPRISE 


“This morning I woke up at five o’clock. I hurried and 
dressed so I could surprise mother and father when they got up. 
When I went out into the kitchen they were all dressed. It was a 
surprise to me instead of to them.” 


A’ POOR) VACATION PORV ME 


“During vacation my sister is going to work. I will have to 
keep house in her place. I wish vacation would never come this 
year. I would rather go to school one hundred years than keep 
house one day.”—Sheridan. 


Work for clear enunciation, voice pitched low, just loud 
enough to be heard clearly throughout the room. Do not ex- 
ceed four or five sentences. Emphasize the “single phase” 
idea, and good beginnings and endings. 

(b) In written composition, keep up to all standards set 
in previous years. In addition teach: 7 

1. One paragraph friendly letters. 

2. Capitals. As in previous grades, and in names of holi- 


days and geographical names, first word of line of poetry, and 
initials. 

3. Period as in Third Grade and after initials. 

4. Comma used in letter writing. 

5. Abbreviations used in letter writing. 

6. Contractions: Isn’t, didn’t, and others in common 
7 


. Arrangement of words in alphabetical order. 

(c) Six additional poems. 

(d) Six additional pictures. 

(e) Continue drill on correct usage, pronunciation and 
enunciation. Do not teach technical grammar. 

(f) Use of markings of letters as a guide to pronuncia- 
tion. 

Fifth Grade 

All standards set for grades below with the following in 
addition : | 

(a) Oral compositions up to the following standards: 


BURIED TREASURE 
“Theodore and I buried some treasures. We dug a hole about 
fifteen inches deep. We put into it an old nail file, two cents, and 
a secret sign. I wonder what they will look hke when we dig 
them up a year from now.” 


NO CATS WANTED 
“When I went out to water my garden last evening whom 
should I see sitting among my radishes but my cat. She does not 
like to get wet, so I sprinkled water all over until she scampered 


away. I guess that taught her not to sit in my garden again.”— 
Sheridan. 


Continue to emphasize the sentence idea, the “single- 
phase” idea, and good endings and beginnings. Insist on sub- 
jects being personal and specific. Not over four or five sen- 
LENGes: 

(b) Written Composition: 

1. Standards set for Grade Four. 


2. Limit all compositions to the single paragraph. 

3. Capitals: Titles of compositions; addressing envel- 
opes. 

4. Apostrophe in possessives. 

5. Expand work on contractions. 


(c) Six additional poems. 

(d) Six additional pictures. 

(e) Continue drill on correct usage, pronunciation and 
enunciation. Continue written work. Also introduce some 
work in reason why forms are incorrect. No formal grammar. 

({) Introduce dictionary work. 

(¢) Singular and plural. 


41 


Sixth Grade 


(a) Continue work for points already emphasized in oral 
composition. Do not exceed five or six sentences in length. 
Debate may be introduced in this grade. Example of standard 
sixth grade oral composition: 


CANT H © laa be 


“Bessie told me that she could tell if I liked butter or not. I 
thought she was silly, but I let her test me. She put a buttercup 
under my chin. The reflection made my chin yellow, so she said 
I liked butter. As a matter of fact I don’t like butter. So I told 
her she wasn’t so wonderful after all.’-—Sheridan. 


(b) Written composition is confined to the one para- 
graph composition of five or six sentences. Keep up to all 
standards of lower grades. 

Additional work for the 6th Grade: -~ 

1. The Business Letter. 

2. Quotation marks and other punctuation of simple quo- 
tations. Do not go in for involved uses of quotation marks. 

3. Abbreviations of titles in common use not already 
taught. 

(c) Six additional poems. 

(d) Six additional pictures. 

(e) ‘The drill work should be continued. Reasons for in- 
correct forms and formal instruction may be extended. 

({) Formal grammar, if taken up at all, should not go 
beyond the more common parts of speech and subject and pre- 
dicate Singular and plural, possessives, etc. should be taught. 

(g) Children when they leave this grade should be able 
to use dictionary for both pronunciation and definitions of 
words. 


Seventh Grade 


Hold to all standards of previous grades. 

(a) In oral composition introduce argumentation 
through debate. Not over seven or eight sentences. Some 
conscious effort may be introduced here in the improvement 
of sentence construction. Do not allow the effort to make the 
child self-conscious, however. Example of standard composi- 
tion: 

A GOOD LESSON FOR ME 


“When our principal came into my room the other day, my 
teacher handed him a paper I had written. -As he read it out 
loud to the pupils he kept stumbling over the words. I knew he 
didn’t stumble because he didn’t know how to read. I knew well 
enough it was because my writing was not good. It was a good 
lesson for me. Now I am trying to write so people can read it.” 
—Sheridan. 


(b) In written composition work for sentence better- 
ment. The following methods are suggested by Sheridan: 
42 


‘4 


“1. Expanding the short simple sentence by amplifying 
the subject and predicate by (1) a word, (2) a phrase, (3) a 
clause. 

2. Combining sets of short sentences that have unity of 
thought into a single sentence. 

3: Contracting long sentences, by reducing a clause to a 
phrase, a phrase to a word. 

4. Seeking variety in sentence beginnings, and through 
mixing long and short sentences in the paragraph.” 

1. Give work in the use of the comma in the sentence. 
Do not over emphasize this. 

2. Fix the letter form, friendly and business. 

(c) Six additional poems. 

(d) Six additional pictures. 

(e) Continue drill on correct usage, etc. All technical 
grammar taught should be applied directly to correct or im- 
proved English. If it cannot be so applied, it is not yet time to 
teach it. 

({) Read the section on “Formal Grammar.” 


Highth Grade 


The standard for Eighth Grade pupils as given by Sheri- 
dan is as follows: 


(a) Oral. 
bore Aims: 


“The aim in oral work for the eighth grade is, as was set forth 
in the foreword, to turn out pupils at the end of the year able to 
stand before the class and talk for a minute or two upon a subject 
within the range of their knowledge or experience, speaking 
plainly, in clean-cut sentences, and without common grammatical 
mistakes. The points emphasized in the seventh year (erect 
standing, clear enunciation, etc.), should be reemphasized in the 
eighth grade.”—Sheridan. 


2. Examples of Oral Composition. 


DA re AB be EAI 


“Tt was the oral language period, and at last my name was 
called. I had no composition ready. We had several visitors and 
their eves were fixed upon me. What opinion would the visitors 
form about me? What would they say about our language work? 
I was terribly frightened and terribly sorry. Somehow all of a 
sudden I picked up my courage and gave a short composition. 
When I sat down and saw the visitors looked pleased, I was a 
happy girl. But never again shall I come to school without hav- 
ing thought of something to talk about in the oral language 


period.” 
DEMONSTRATING 


“Father put in his application to have a garage built in the 
yard for the store truck. That afternoon a man that we knew 
came with a new seven-seater Packard and took us for a ride. As 
we spun along the boulevard, he explained how to operate it. 

43 


Suddenly he said, “Mr. Hill, this would be a-good car for your 
family.” Father had not guessed his motive until then. Although 
we have no intentions of buying one I wish a few more demon- 
strators would come around.” 


LH E LOS LAL LN Gh 

“Last year in the seventh grade our teacher read us many in- 
teresting books. Among these was Burnett’s “The Lost Prince.” 
Although it was not a girl’s book, I can truthfully say that most 
of the girls enjoyed it immensely. It has a strong plot, and it 
holds the attention to the end. Our teacher usually reads to us 
for about five minutes in the afternoon just before dismissal, but 
if we scored one hundred per cent in spelling we had the pleasure 
of hearing her read for half an hour. Each day I went home full 
of praises of the wonderful book. At Christmas I was fortunate 
enough to receive a fine copy of the book I like so well.” 

—Sheridan. 


(b) Written: 

“The ability to write with fair facility an original para- 
graph upon a subject within the range of the pupil’s experi- 
ence or interests. 

such a paragraph should show: 

1. An absolute mastery of “the sentence idea.”’ 

2. Freedom from glaring grammatical mistakes. 

3. Correct spelling of all ordinary words. 

4. Unftailing use of the commonest marks in punctua- 
—Sheridan. 

(c) Six additional poems. 

(d) Six additional pictures. 

(e) Continue work of 7th Grade. By this time the com- 
mon errors should be well eliminated, 

({) For Formal Grammar, see (e) and (f) of 7th Grade. 


’” 


tion. 


XI. A “Good English Club.” 


One of the effective methods for motivating a course in 
oral English is through the organization of a good English 
Club. All children, except possibly the very youngest, can 
profitably belong. The teacher should, of course, act as Critic 
usually; sometimes an older pupil, if capable, may perform 
the duties of this office. 

The following description of the organization of such a 
club is taken from Meek and Wilson, “English Today” Ad- 
vanced Book, Charles Scribner’s Sons: 

One very important part of school business is‘ for boys 
and girls to learn to speak correctly. 

1. Why is it important to speak correctly in business? 

2. Why is it a social advantage to speak correctly? 

3. How may incorrect speech embarrass you in life out- 
side of school? 

4. Why should you begin at once to improve your Eng- 
lish? 


44 


“4 


Not only is it necessary to speak correctly but more than 
that, it is important to speak effectively, which means speak- 
ing in such a pleasing and forceful way that what you say will 
have the desired effect upon your audience. The audience may 
be one person whom you want to influence or it may bea 
large group. © 

Think of the occasions when a person should be able to 
talk well. Many such times occur in your daily experience 
such as when you must make a good recitation at school; when 
you may wish to talk to strangers and when you want to per- 
suade others to do something. 


When you grow up you will need to be able to speak effec- 
tively if you are a business man, a lawyer, a teacher, a sales- 
man, or in any occupation in life. Perhaps you will be called 
upon to talk at Community Meetings, Commercial Clubs, 
Farm Bureau Meetings, and Women’s Clubs. You will also 
be called upon to entertain others in social gatherings. 


One of the best ways to improve your ability to speak well 
will be to organize a club which will have as its purpose to en- 
courage and develop effective speech. You can choose a name 
for it yourselves. Call it the “English Club” or the “How to 
Speak Club,” or whatever you like. At each meeting you are 
either to learn something which will aid you in speaking, or 
practice something which you have already learned. Be sure 
to remember that. 


~You should organize your club at once and name it. The 
next lessons will tell you how to organize it and how to con- 
duct a meeting. 


2. How to Organize a Club 


Someone must act as a temporary chairman of your asso- 
ciation until a president has been elected. If this is your first 
club, it will be well to ask the teacher to be chairman. 

It is the business of this chairman to preside until a presi- 
dent has been elected. The chairman stands at the front of the 
room and says, “Nominations are in order for president.” 

Any one may then nominate the person whom he thinks 
will be a good president by rising and saying, “Mr. Chairman 
or Madame Chairman, I nominate * * *.” 

Have in mind that the president must be able to manage 
the club efficiently. You should nominate such a person re- 
gardless of your inclination to favor your personal friends. 

When two or three persons have been nominated, some 
one may say, “I move the nominations be closed.” The chair- 
man says, “All those in favor of closing the nominations, make 
it known by saying, ‘Aye’”. If the motion carries, the club 
proceeds to vote. 

It is best to write the names of persons nominated upon 
the blackboard and to vote by ballot. A ballot is a paper or 

45 


ticket upon which the names of candidates are written or 
printed. The voter either puts a cross against the name of his 
candidate or writes in a name and puts a cross beside it. 

The chairman may appoint two tellers to collect the votes. 
Tellers must never look at the votes as they collect them. Af- 
ter collecting they go to the front of the room. One reads 
aloud the names as he looks at the ballots, while the other puts 
a mark after each name as it receives a vote. Every fifth vote 
is called tally, and the names will appear something like this: 

John 1111 1111 1111 Fifth count to be drawn through. 

Mayan ltl Tapa dasit } 

Hdithe bik aeeo il 

You can see that this plan makes it easy for all in the room 
to count the number of votes’each receives. 

After the president has been elected he takes the chair and 
the club proceeds as before to elect a vice president, a secre- 
tary, a treasurer, and a critic. The president may appoint such 
committees as he finds are needed. 


3. How to Conduct a Meeting 


The president or chairman calls the meeting to order by 
some simple statement, such as, “The meeting will now come 
to order.” He asks the secretary for the report of the last 
meeting and then states the business of the present meeting. 

There are a few rules to be observed: 

1. A member of the club who has something to say rises 
and addresses the chairman or president as “Mr. President.” 
The president then recognizes the member by calling his 
name, as “John Randall.” 

2. In case a member has a talk to make to the whole 
group, he rises and says, “Madame President and members of 
the club,” and then gives his talk. 

3. Itis the business of the president to see that every one 
has a chance to participate in the work of the club. It is the 
duty of every member to do his share. 

To the President of the class: 

You are responsible for good club meetings. You should 
therefore read some of the advance lessons and choose an ex- 
ercise from which you can make a programme for a profitable 
meeting. See to it that the class studies the exercise carefully 
and that every one to whom a part has been assigned has his 
work well prepared for presentation. 

Try to give every member of the class an opportunity to 
contribute something to the meeting. 

At the close of each meeting the critic should be called on 
for a discussion of the program Ate the part taken by the 
members of the club. Z 


46 


To the Members of the English Club 


The most interesting feature of your club meetings should 
be the general discussion that rounds up and closes the pro- 
gramme. Unless your audience is aroused enough to ask ques- 
tions, to contribute additional argument or information, to 
make objections or express approval, your message has not 
been effective enough to catch and hold their attention. A 
good standard by which you can measure the merit of your 
talk is the amount of comment and discussion it provokes. It 
should inspire interest rather than arouse antagonism, so that 
your audience will want to investigate the subject under dis- 
cussion.—Meek and Wilson. 

On the first one hundred pages of this book will be found 
many suggestions for meetings of such a club. At least one 
copy should be secured. 


XII. Correlation. 


The good English teacher will go to many other fields for 
material to be used in her English course. Correlate with 
Geography, History, Nature Study, Art Work, Reading and 
Civics. 


47 


Course of Study in Spelling 


I. Text Book. 


The plan of this course is adaptable to any text book. It 
will, however, fit better those texts consisting of a graded 
word list. It is an extension of the plan suggested in the 
Horn-Ashbaugh Speller in use, widely, throughout the state at 
the present time. It is adapted, in its entirety, from the plan 
of the Individual Speller, published by the World Book Co., 
Yonkers, New York, the author of which is Superintendent 
C. W. Washburne, of Winnetka, Illinois. Some modifications 
have been made in the plan to adapt it to rural conditions, and 
others have been suggested by Superintendent Washburne, 
himself. 

Special acknowledgments are due Superintendent Wash- 
burne and the World Book Company for their kind permission 
to reproduce this plan. All quotations, not otherwise credited, 
are from the Teachers Manual, and textbook, “The Individual 
Speller.” It is recommended that teachers secure a copy of 
this manual and text, even though another is in use in the 
school. 


II. Material. 


Each child should be supplied with a permanent spelling 
blank, durably bound. This book should last him throughout 
the spelling course and should be preserved from year to year. 
(This provision is not necessary if “The Individual Speller” is 
in use.) With children old enogh to use pen and ink profi- 
ciently, the “Pre-Semester Test” should be written in ink. 
Daily and weekly tests should be written on scratch paper, and 
may be in pencil or ink as the teacher prefers. 


III. The Preliminary Test. 


It will be found advisable in the first test when this plan 
of teaching is first inaugurated to start all pupils low in the 
spelling list. This test will take some time, but will be worth 
while, since it will be a final check on all back words in the 
spelling list. These words may be written on scratch paper in 
pencil. The purpose of the test is two-fold: 


1. To place the child in the spelling list by finding out 
what words he, as an individual, does not know how to spell. 


2. ‘To group the children into pairs of about equal abil- 
ity. Good spellers may be excused from the early part of this 
test, if the teacher feels sure they can spell all words, Dictate 
twice a day until all children are placed, using as long a period 
as possible during which the children respond without ex- 
treme fatigue. These papers should be corrected by the 
teacher, or the teacher may allow good spellers from the upper 
grades to assist her. Mark every word wrong, when there is 
the least doubt as to the child’s ability to spell it, or where 
the child hesitates, erases, or in any way indicates any doubt. 

Where does the child stop spelling in this Preliminary 
Test? 

Divide the words assigned to each year in the spelling text 
into two groups, about 40% for the first semester, and 60% for 
the second. The child continues to spell in this “Preliminary 
Test” until the end of a semester list gives him a total of from 
100 to 200 misspelled words. When this “Preliminary Test” 
is completed every child should be placed in some semester list 
with from 100 to 200 misspelled or doubtful words to study. 
Also the children at the conclusion of the test are to be paired, 
placing together children of equal ability as nearly as possible. 
If three children fall in the same group and no other group is 
near them in ability, the three may work together. 

_ These misspelled and doubtful words should then be writ- 
ten in the permanent spelling blank, and they constitute the 
child’s spelling list for the semester. 


IV. The “Pre-Semester Test.”’ 


This ‘Preliminary Test” is given only once to a child. 
After the first test, which places him in the spelling course, he 
thereafter proceeds in one of two ways: either covering one 
semester’s assignment of words in the text each semester, or 
covering as many half-year assignments as he can in a semes- 
ter. The former is advised except in the case of children re- 
tarded in spelling. 

After the system is once in operation, at the beginning of 
each semester, the teacher, with the aid, when desired, of older 
pupils, pronounces to each group or grade its semester list of 
words. The words missed are copied in the spelling blank cor- 
rectly spelled. The entire list is then pronounced again, and 
any additional words missed in the second pronunciation are 
added to the list. Words spelled correctly both times are con- 
sidered as words the child knows how to spell. ‘The words in 
this missed list constitute the child’s spelling course for the 
SCIMeSter, 

The children must have no opportunity to study the spell- 
ing book during either the “Preliminary” or “Pre-Semester” 
ANS 


49 


V. The Daily Lesson and Weekly Test. 


After this preliminary work is done, and the children 
grouped in pairs, the daily pronunciation of words is done by 
the children in each pair to each other. On the first day each 
child tests his partner on ten words from his spelling list. The 
child then corrects his own paper, checking any word mis- 
spelled. The following day these misspelled words of the pre- 
vious day are pronounced together with enough advance 
words in the spelling list to make ten. The paper is then cor- 
rected by its owner, and he copies the words missed with 
enough from the list to make his assignment of 10 for the fol- 
lowing day and studies them. The following day at the be- 
ginning of the spelling period he hands this list to his partner. 
who pronounces them to him. It may be found advisable for 
the partners to check each other’s papers after doing their 
own, thus making doubly sure the finding of all misspelled 
words. This is done for three days in the week—Tuesday to 
Thursday. On Friday, the time is spent in studying all words 
misspelled during the week; no test is given. 

On Monday, each child pronounces to his partner all 
words of the week before. These papers are handed in to the 
teacher for correction This is the “Weekly Test.” These 
papers should be returnd on Tuesday, and any misspelled 
words should be the starting point for Tuesday’s lesson. 

Observe the following points: 

1. The teacher corrects only the “Weekly Test.” 

2. The child has four advance lessons each week—Mon- 
day, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday—including words 
missed the day before. , 

3. The Spelling Blanks should be collected at the close of 
each lesson. The child has his lesson for the next day on the 
sheet of paper used. 

4. The child studies only words he has misspelled. 

5. Impress upon children the fact that any cheating or 
carelessness in correcting the daily test means that the child is 
eheating himself only, since the teacher corrects all words 
weekly. 

6. The daily test is given before and not after the study 
period. The child should not be allowed to study spelling just 
before this test. The same is true, especially so, of the 
“Weekly Test.” 7 


VI. The ‘Semester Test.” 


At the close of the semester, the partners pronounce to 
each otherall words in the spelling list for the semester plus 
all words of previous semesters that do not have two red O. 
K.’s following them. (See Section VII for explanation of 
Checking System.) This list may cover several days. Im- 

50 


.' 


‘ 


mediately at the close of each day’s testing, papers-and spelling 
blanks should be collected, so that children may not study for 
the test. 

The words missed in this “Semester Test” are to be added 
to the words missed in the “Pre-Semester Test” of the follow- 
ing half year to form the spelling list for the new semester. 
They need, not, however, be copied again in the Spelling 
Blank. 


VII. The Checking System. 


How do the child and the teacher know when the pupil is 
through with a word that he has once missed? 

After each “Weekly Test” the teacher goes through the 
child’s spelling blank and makes a black O. K. in ink after 
each word spelled correctly. The child is through studying 
that word for the semester, but must spell it in his “Semester 
Test.” It may be found advisable for the teacher to use her 
initials rather than an O. K. check indicating correctly spelled 
words. 

At the conclusion of the “Semester Test,” the teacher 
okehs or initials in red the words correctly spelled. When a 
word has been misspelled, the child must receive two red 
O. K.’s before the word is dropped from his “Semester Tests.” 


VIII. Words Missed in Daily Work. 


Words missed in daily work that the child can reasonably 
be expected to know how to spell should be added to his se- 
mester list and be treated exactly as is a word missed during 
the “Preliminary” or “Pre-Semester” Tests. Words should 
not be so added that will occur later in his spelling text book, 
or technical words that he will have no future need of know- 
ing how to spell. 


IX. The Spelling List. 


1. The Spelling list for the first semester that this sys- 
tem is in operation, will be all words missed in the “Prelimin- 
ary Test” plus words added from his daily work. 

2. After the first semester the list for each semester will 
consist of: | 

(a) Words missed previously in the course but without 
two red checks; 

(b) Words missed in the “Pre-Semester Test” of that 
half year; and 

(c) Words added from daily work. 


ot 


X. The Spelling Blank. 


The Spelling Blank is not necessary if the Washburne In- 
dividual Speller is used; it makes provision for the care of 
misspelled words without a separate blank book. However, 


even if the text is used, the “Preliminary Test” should be* 


given, and the requirement for red checks reduced from four to 
two. (This suggestion is contained in a letter from Supt. 
Washburne. ) 

The Spelling Blank, when used, is, in reality the Child’s 
Spelling Book. It should be taken up by the teacher daily 
after the list for the following day is copied by the child. -Oth- 
erwise, children will be tempted to okeh words for themselves. 
The Blank should also be taken up at the close of the school 
term and passed on to the next teacher along with grade 
books, record of grades, the daily register, etc. The loss of 
the book would necessitate a new start on the part of the 
pupil. The book should not be left in the child’s hands, unless 
he is transferring to another school. 


XI. Directions to the Pupil. 


The following directions should be given the pupil. These 
directions may be read to the pupils until they are familiai 
with them, or better yet copies may be hectographed and 
given each child: 

1. The words in your spelling blank are the words you 
need to study in spelling. 


2. ‘The words you miss each day are a part of your spell- 
ing lesson for the following day. Copy enough words from 
your spelling list to make about 10 altogether. 


as 


3. “See if you yourself can tell why these words were 
hard for you. Look most carefully at the middle parts of 
these words. Be sure you know how to spell each one.” 

4, Each day, at the beginning of the spelling period, you 
and your partner will give each other the lists of words you 
studied the day before. You pronounce his list to him, and he 
pronounces your list to you. Try to get every word right. 

5 After you are through pronouncing to each other, each 
of you correct his own paper; then exchange and you correct 
your partner’s paper and he, yours. Use your spellers or word 
lists while doing this. 

6. Be very careful to find every misspelled word. These 
words do not count on your grade. Only the weekly test, 
‘which the teacher corrects, counts on your spelling grade. If 
you do not find a misspelled word in these daily tests you will 
probably miss the same word in your weekly tests. 

7. When you have corrected your words write the ones 


misspelled at the top of a clean sheet of paper. Add enough 
52 


* 


to this from your spelling list to make 10 altogether. Study 
this list for the next day. 

8. Keep these daily lists for your weekly test. 

9. The following tells you what to do each day: 

Monday—You and your partner pronounce to each other 
all the words each studied during the week before. Give each 
other the four sheets of- the week before, and pronounce all 
these words to each other. When you are through lay these 
lessons on the teacher’s desk. Then copy 10 words from 
your list for your Tuesday lesson, and study these words. 

Tuesday—Pronounce to each other the list of ten words 
you made on Monday. Correct this paper and copy on a fresh 
sheet the words you have missed. Get your test of Monday 
from the teacher and copy on the same sheet the words you 
missed in this test. If this does not give you ten words add 
enough from your spelling list to make ten. Study these for 
Wednesday. 

Wednesday—Pronounce to each other your Tuesday’s 
list, correct, and make a new list of 10 words for Thursday, as 
you have done before. Study these. 

Thursday—Follow the same plan as Wednesday. 

Friday—Do not prepare any advance lesson. Study your 
lists of the four previous days. Get ready for Monday’s test. 

When you have finished all the words in your list in this 
way you will be excused from spelling for the rest of the half- 
year unless you are backward in spelling; if you are behind 
your class, you will go ahead with a new list. 

XII. The Lesson Assignment. 

A daily assignment of 10 words is suggested in the course 
of study. This may be increased or made smaller if the teacher 
decides that a modification is advisable. Also, the needs of 
the individual should decide whether the child who has com- 
pleted the assignment for a semester drops the subject. 


